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Paris groundsmen take revenge

Paris News: A team of disgruntled groundsmen, responsible for Le Champs de Mars park area around the Eiffel Tower, were facing disciplinary charges yesterday after their protest against pay freezes was spotted from the air.

Restructuring the pathways leading from the iconic tower to leave it as the groin of simple male figure has enraged and amused Parisians in equal measure.

The Mayor of Paris, Betrand Delanoe, condemning the group, called them ‘little more than vandals’ who had ‘defecated on the public face of France’.

But unions and left-wing groups have come out in support, threatening to call a strike if the men are dismissed.

“Every worker has the right to protest,” said Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the Partie de Gauche.

“A miner may turn off his drill. A doctor may turn off his machines. A groundsman may redirect the paths and trees so that the Eiffel Tower becomes a symbol of his stiffening rage and the firmness of his resolve.”

Meanwhile tourists have flocked to the area to see for themselves.

“Honestly, there are so many helicopters up there you can’t hear yourself think,” said Stephen Grant, visiting the city with his family.

“It’s like a load of flies buzzing round his knob. I knew the French were dirty but this is ridiculous.”